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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
the disposal of surveyors employed on ship work, and observing that 70% of this work is carried out afloat in ships at anchor or at buoys it will be seen that this number is entirely inadequate. At the present moment one Nautical Surveyor is already on his way out to the Colony and will be followed by another early in 1930. These Officers' duties will be principally out in the harbour inspecting the Life Saving appliances of vessels and for Emigration work. Their utility will be lost to the Colony unless launches are provided for their use.
The launch now under construction is intended to augment the transport facilities of Surveyors employed on ship work and the new launch asked for in the 1930 Budget for the G.M.S. Depart- ment is intended for the use of the two Nautical Surveyors.
The launches allocated to the Boarding Office and Junk Office are fully employed and cannot be spared for work with the G.M.S. Office.
New Launch for Carriage of Stores and Relief.
At present when stores arrive out from England there is no Government launch available for landing such stores and it becomes necessary to hire a launch for this purpose.
Government have normally a fleet of 38 craft each one of which is allocated for special duty, and in addition one launch is under construction.
When certain of these launches become due for overhaul or should they break down it becomes necessary to hire launches to take their place.
It is considered more economical to build a Government launch for these purposes of landing P.W.D. Stores and of Relief work, than to continue the hiring of outside launches-at an average tariff of $25 per diem, coal, oil and stores being provided by Govern- ment.
It has been suggested by the hon. senior unofficial member that the Kau Sing could perform this duty. This would be most uneconomical. To keep the Kau Sing under steam at half an hour's notice during non-typhoon weather would cost approximately an additional $30,000 per annum. If she was employed three days a week it would cost yet another $20,000, or $50,000 per annum in all. The estimated initial cost of the new launch asked for is $40,000 and it is estimated that her fuel and stores, etc., will cost approximately $5,000 per annum, so that the total cost for the first year would be $45,000. From this hon members will see that to run the Kau Sing for this duty would cost more in one year than the initial cost of the proposed new launch plus one year's expenses for fuel and stores.
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